Spice Is the Variety of Life.

I’ll confess that I don’t have a very sophisticated palate. I’d rather suck on someone’s toes than eat goat cheese; take a big sniff of an old pair of underwear than taste prosciutto; or sample a cat treat than eat paté.

I love adventurous flavors and spices, but my preference is more toward the obvious and less the subtle. Pizza & beer (though both local and craft), steak & succotash, vindaloo & naan hit my table with some regularity. And tacos. As provincial as that may sound.

But at least I try to make them the best they can be, with super-lean ground beef, skillet fried soft tortillas if I’m feeling nasty, and this recipe for seasoning that, like me, I hope will make you never go back to a packet.

I add Aleppo pepper, because that’s what I do. And sometimes smoked cumin and half chipotle chili powder to give it a little extra...something.